Source-backed decision research

Explore how AAO evaluates evidence.

Search a substantial collection of case-specific reasoning, then narrow it by petition, field, legal issue, or date.

This expanded collection favors source-backed access over perfect automated classification. Fields, labels, summaries, and relevance may contain errors; records marked ‘broader context’ need extra care. Review the cited source before relying on any record. These appeals and motions do not show approval odds or denial rates, and are not legal advice or a prediction.

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10,847 decisions / 36,849 findings

Showing 15861–15870

NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

other

beneficiary possession of minimum required experience

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Jamaican agency letter stated only job title and dates without describing duties or expertise. The co-worker letter lacked corroboration of the signatory's employment at the agency. U.S. experience letters were not from the claimed employers and no unavailability was shown. Experience gained with the Petitioner as a contract employee cannot be counted because it was substantially comparable to the offered position.

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The Jamaican agency letter stated only job title and dates without describing duties or expertise. The co-worker letter lacked corroboration of the signatory's employment at the agency. U.S. experience letters were not from the claimed employers and no unavailability was shown. Experience gained with the Petitioner as a contract employee cannot be counted because it was substantially comparable to the offered position.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-26_01_B5203; source_row=22606
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

other

continuing ability to pay proffered wage

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner lacked required documentary evidence for 2014 and 2015, and for 2013 demonstrated negative net income and net current assets. The 2016 payment of the proffered wage does not retroactively establish ability to pay in prior years. The Sonegawa totality-of-circumstances analysis also failed due to declining revenues, shrinking workforce, and the need to cover combined proffered wages for multiple beneficiaries.

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The Petitioner lacked required documentary evidence for 2014 and 2015, and for 2013 demonstrated negative net income and net current assets. The 2016 payment of the proffered wage does not retroactively establish ability to pay in prior years. The Sonegawa totality-of-circumstances analysis also failed due to declining revenues, shrinking workforce, and the need to cover combined proffered wages for multiple beneficiaries.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-26_01_B5203; source_row=22605
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Published material

published material

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed that the Beneficiary met the published material criterion based on a feature in a named publication.

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AAO agreed that the Beneficiary met the published material criterion based on a feature in a named publication.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-26_01_B2203; source_row=22601
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Artistic displayEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Artistic display

artistic display

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found that the Beneficiary's performances at festivals established eligibility for the artistic display criterion under 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(h)(3)(vii).

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AAO found that the Beneficiary's performances at festivals established eligibility for the artistic display criterion under 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(h)(3)(vii).
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-26_01_B2203; source_row=22603
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

judging

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed that the Beneficiary met the judging criterion based on his service on a jury panel for a festival.

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AAO agreed that the Beneficiary met the judging criterion based on his service on a jury panel for a festival.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-26_01_B2203; source_row=22602
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

OtherManager

Issue evaluated

other

Beneficiary meets labor certification experience requirements by priority date

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found persistent, material inconsistencies in job titles, duties, and start dates across letters written in 2010, 2014, and 2017; the 2017 letters appeared to retroactively combine duties from earlier letters in an attempt to reconcile prior inconsistencies; and the tax returns and accountant's report neither resolved the inconsistencies nor independently verified qualifying employment.

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AAO found persistent, material inconsistencies in job titles, duties, and start dates across letters written in 2010, 2014, and 2017; the 2017 letters appeared to retroactively combine duties from earlier letters in an attempt to reconcile prior inconsistencies; and the tax returns and accountant's report neither resolved the inconsistencies nor independently verified qualifying employment.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-26_02_B5203; source_row=22613
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

OtherManager

Issue evaluated

other

Petitioner's continuing ability to pay proffered wage

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO held that a disregarded entity's parent tax returns cannot substitute for the Petitioner's own financials because the Petitioner is a separate legal entity. AAO also found the Petitioner failed to demonstrate ability to pay across multiple concurrent I-140 beneficiaries and that the Sonegawa totality-of-circumstances factors did not support a finding of ability to pay.

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AAO held that a disregarded entity's parent tax returns cannot substitute for the Petitioner's own financials because the Petitioner is a separate legal entity. AAO also found the Petitioner failed to demonstrate ability to pay across multiple concurrent I-140 beneficiaries and that the Sonegawa totality-of-circumstances factors did not support a finding of ability to pay.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-26_02_B5203; source_row=22614
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

advanced degree requirement

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO implicitly affirms the director's conclusion that a labor certification requiring only a bachelor's degree and 48 months of experience does not satisfy the advanced degree professional classification standard.

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AAO implicitly affirms the director's conclusion that a labor certification requiring only a bachelor's degree and 48 months of experience does not satisfy the advanced degree professional classification standard.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-24_01_B5203; source_row=22598
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWexceptional ability otherNot addressedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

exceptional ability other

exceptional ability in sciences, arts, or business

What the decision said

AAO does not evaluate the merits of the exceptional ability claim, but remands to the director to conduct that analysis in the first instance.

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AAO does not evaluate the merits of the exceptional ability claim, but remands to the director to conduct that analysis in the first instance.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-24_01_B5203; source_row=22599
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

other

Ability to pay proffered wage in 2014 and 2015

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Form 990-EZ showed net income below the proffered wage in both years; the Finance Reports lacked independent review and identified no specific figures supporting ability to pay; bank statements are not a primary evidence type under the regulation and a depletion analysis showed the account would have been depleted well before year-end 2015; and the totality of circumstances under Sonegawa did not demonstrate ability to…

Why this is useful

Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.

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The Form 990-EZ showed net income below the proffered wage in both years; the Finance Reports lacked independent review and identified no specific figures supporting ability to pay; bank statements are not a primary evidence type under the regulation and a depletion analysis showed the account would have been depleted well before year-end 2015; and the totality of circumstances under Sonegawa did not demonstrate ability to pay.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-04-23_01_B5203; source_row=22597
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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